Wrist watch strap or chain attaching means



g- 13, J. KREISL'ER ET AL 2,211,693 I WRIST WATCH STRAPJOR CHAIN ATTACHING MEANS Filed Dec. 6, 1957 3nnentor L/FCQUES KRELSLER p fi/vDREw zsgu/v.

(Ittomeg Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I WRIST WATCH STRAP OR CHAIN ATTACHING MEANS Application December 6, 1937, Serial No. 178,334

10 Claims.

This invention relates to strap or chain attaching means and more particularly to end-connectors for attaching the ends of straps or chains, such as bracelets, to the bail, cross-bar or similar part of a watch.

Watchcases, more particularly,. wrist-matchcases have at their opposite ends cross-pins or bails to which the ends of the wrist-watch strap or chain are attached by means of end-connectors secured to the ends of the strap or chain and to the cross-pins of the watchcase. As the cross-pins or bails of the watchcase vary in length, considerable'difliculty is frequently experienced, especially by the retailer of wristwatches, in fitting the end-connectors to the cross-pins of the watchcase. For example, when the end-connector or the part thereof which is attached to the cross-pin of the watch is longer than the latter, it is necessary to reduce the length of said part of the connector usually by cutting or filing same. On the other hand, the end-connector may be too short for the cross-pin of a particular watchcase with the result that undesirable relative longitudinal movement of the cross-pin and the connector ensues.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to obviate these difiiculties and objects and for that purpose to facilitate the attachment of the ends of the bracelet or chain to the cross-pins of the watchcase with the proper fit therebetween. This is accomplished in accordance with the preferred form of the present invention by providing an end-connector comprising a first member having a part adapted to be secured to the strap or chain and a second member adapted to be attached to the cross-pin of the watchcase, said membershaving interengaging relatively slidable parts for connecting them to each other. More specifically, said members comprise, respectively, a tubular part having an open end and a longitudinal slot, and a tubular part having 2. lug provided with an enlarged or flanged edge portion so that said members may be readily connected by inserting said lug end- Wise through the open end and slot of said first mentioned tubular part. Also, in the preferred form of the invention, one of said tubular parts is provided with a recess and the other of said tubular parts is provided with a bendable tongue insertable into said recess by bending the same into said recess in a direction transversely of said tubular parts.

In the practical application of the present invention a supply of the present end-connectors having cross-pin attaching parts of difierent case.

lengths is to be furnished to the retailer so that the latter may select the end-connector of the length required to properly fit the cross-pin of any particular watch. As ordinarily the end of the chain or bracelet is of predetermined size and 5 is equipped with one part of the connector, it is only necessary to furnish additional end-con nector parts which are engaged with the cross pins of the watchcases.

Another object of the invention is generally 10 to provide improved means for attaching the ends of chains or straps to the cross-pins or bails of wrist-watchcases.

The above objects of the invention and other objects ancillary thereto will be. best understood 1 from the following description considered with reference to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a plan view showing part of a let, chain or strap connected to the cross-pin at one end of the Watchcase;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of an end-connector embodying the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the end-connector, Showing the companion members separated from each other;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. '30

Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, there is shown in Fig. 1 a wrist watch It having on its opposite ends cross-pins or bails l2 to which the endmost links it of the wrist- Watch strap or bracelet It are attached by means of the end-connector l8 embodying the present invention.

The end-connector It! comprises, as here shown, a member 20 connected to the end bar 22 of link I l and a member 24 connected to member 20 and to a connecting cross-pin l2 of the watch- Said members are composed of any suitable material preferably sheet metal. Member 20 comprises, preferably in integral relation, a tubular part 26 adapted for attachment to the link bar 22 and a tubular part 28 adapted for attachment to member 24, both of said tubular parts being open at their ends and tubular part 28 having an open end slot 30 defined by inturned edge portions 32. Member 24 comprises a tubular part 34 adapted to pivotally engage over cross-pin l2 of the watchcase and has in integral relation a longitudinally extending lug 36 projecting laterally thereof and provided with an enlarged folded edge portion or flange 38. Membra cethe line 4-4 of bers 2D and 24 are connected to each other by inserting lug 35 endwise in tubular part 28 through one end of the latter and the slot 30 thereof. As illustrated in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, when said members are thus connected tubular part 28 of member 20 lies close to tubular part 34 of member 24 and the inturned end portions 32 of tubular part 23 engages lug 36 at opposite sides thereof in contact with the opposite edge portions 43 and 42 of fiange 38.

It will be observed that the end-connector as I thus constructed comprises two members having interengaging slidable parts for connecting said members to and disconnecting them from each other and that they are engaged with each other by inserting the lug on one of said parts endwise through the open end and slot of the tubular part of the other of said members. Accordingly provision is made for releasably holding said members of the end-connector in connected relation. For this purpose, as here shown, one of the end-connector members 24 is provided with a recess 45 formed in tubular part 2% between the ends of the latter, and a bendable tongue 35 is formed on tubular part 25 of member 29 between the ends of the latter. Said tongue is formed integral with member 2! preferably by striking out the same from the material of said member, forming a recess 68 in tubular part 28 in which said tongue is positioned when bent into the recess i l of tubular part 34. It will be understood that when tongue 36 is bent into recess l l members 26 and 24 are held in connected relation and against unintended displacement and that for disconnecting said members or to permit the connection of said members, tongue 46 is bent back in position to clear recess M. Other means for releasably holding the members of the end-connector in connected relation may be utilized, for example, the ends of part 28 may be provided with end portions bendable to overlie the ends of flange 38, but the tongue and recess arrangement here shown is preferred.

Thus it is seen that the construction herein shown or described as the preferred embodiment of the invention is Well adapted to accomplish the several objects thereof. It will be understood, however, that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as here shown and that in the illustrated embodiment certain changes with respect to details of construction and the form thereof may be made within the spirit of the invention. Therefore, we do not wish to be limited precisely to the construction herein shown or described except as may be required by the appended claims considered with reference to the prior art.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A connector for attaching the end of a strap or chain to a watch, said connector comprising a first member having a part adapted to be secured to the strap and a slotted tubular part having an open end, and a second member having a part adapted to be attached to the watch, and a laterally projecting part adapted to be secured to said first member, said laterally projecting part being slidable endwise into and out of said first member through said open end for connecting and disconnecting said members to and from each other, and means integral with and movable on one of said members engageable with the other of said members for holding said slidable parts in connected relation.

2. A connector for attaching the end of a strap or chain to a watch, said connector comprising a first member having a part adapted to be secured to the strap and a tubular part having an open end and a longitudinal slot, and a second member adapted to be attached to the Watch and provided with a tubular part and with a longitudinally extending lug having an enlarged edge portion engageable with said tubular part of said first member and insertable therein endwise through said open end and slot, said last mentioned tubular part being constructed and arranged to engage over a connecting pin of the watch for pivotal connection therewith and said lug positioned laterally thereof, and means integral with and movable on one of said members engageable with the other of said members for holding said slidable parts in connected relation.

3. A connector for attaching the end of a strap or chain to a watch, said connector comprising a first member having a part adapted to be secured to the strap and a tubular part having an open end and a longitudinal slot, and a second member adapted to be attached to the watch and provided with a tubular part and with a longitudinally extending lug having an enlarged edge portion engageable with said tubular part of said first member and insertable therein endwise through said open end and slot, and means for holding said members in connected relation comprising a recess in said lug and a tongue on said first member insertable into said recess.

4. A connector for attaching th end of a strap or chain to a watch, said connector comprising a first member having a part adapted to be secured to the strap and a tubular part having an open end a longitudinal slot, and a second member adapted to be attached to the watch and provided with 2. lug having an enlarged edge portion en ageable with said tubular part and insertable therein endwise through said open end and slot, and means for holding said members in connected relation comprising a recess in each of said members between the ends thereof and a tongue on said first member between its ends insertable in said recesses in engagement with said second member.

5. A connector for attaching the end of a strap or chain to a watch, said connector comprising a first member having a part adapted to be secured to the strap and a tubular part having an open end and a longitudinal slot, and a second member adapted to be attached to the watch and provided with a lug having an enlarged edge portion engageable with said tubular part and insertable therein endwise through said open end and slot, and means for holding said members in connected relation comprising a recess in one of said members and a bendable tongue on the other of said members insertable into said recess. 6. A connector for attaching the end of a strap chain to a watch, said connector comprising a first member having a part adapted to be secured to the strap and a tubular part having an open end and a longitudinal slot, and a second member adapted to be attached to the watch and provided with a lug having an enlarged edge portion engageable with said tubular part internally thereof and insertable therein endwise through said open end and slot, and means for holding said members in connected relation comprising a recess in one of said members and a tongue on the other of said members between its ends insertable in said recess by bending the same transversely of the axis of said tubular part. 7. A connector for attaching the end of a strap or chain to a watch, said connector comprising a first member having a part adapted to be secured to the strap and a tubular part having an open end and a longitudinal slot, and a second member adapted to be attached to the Watch and comprising a tubular part having a longitudinally extending lug terminating in an enlarged edge portion, said lug extending lengthwise of said tubular part of the second member and engageable with said first mentioned tubular part internally thereof and insertable endwise therein through said open end and slot, said last mentioned tubular part being constructed and arranged to engage over a connecting pin of the Watch for pivotal connection therewith and said lug positioned laterally thereof.

8. A connector for attaching the end of a strap or chain to a watch, said connector comprising a first member having a part adapted to be secured to the strap and a tubular part having an open end and a longitudinal slot, and a second member adapted to be attached to the watch and comprising a tubular part adapted to be secured to and over a connecting pin of the watch and having an integral longitudinally extending lug projecting at one side thereof and terminating in an enlarged edge portion, said lug being engageable with said first mentioned tubular part internally thereof and insertable endwise therein through said open end and slot, and means for holding said members in connected relation comprising a recess in one of said members and a tongue on the other of said members insertable into said recess.

9. A connector for attaching the end of a strap or chain to a watch, said connector comprising a first member having a part adapted to be secured to the strap and a tubular part having an open end and a longitudinal slot, and a second member adapted to be attached to the watch and comprising a tubular part adapted to be secured to and over a connecting pin of the watch and having an integral longitudinally extending lug projecting laterally at one side thereof and terminating in and enlarged edge portion, said lug being engageable with said first mentioned tubular part internally thereof and insertable endwise therein through said open end and slot, and

means for holding said members in connected relation comprising a recess in one of said members between the ends thereof and a tongue on the other of said members between its ends insertable in said recess.

10. A connector for attaching the end of a strap or chain to a watch, said connector comprising a first member having a part adapted to be secured to the strap and a tubular part having an open end and a longitudinal slot, and a second member adapted to be attached to the watch and comprising a tubular part adapted to be secured to and over a connecting pin of the watch and having a longitudinally extending lug terminating in an enlarged folded edge portion, said lug being engageable with said first mentioned tubular part internally thereof and insertable endwise therein through said open end and slot, and means for holding said members in connected relation comprising a recess in said folded edge portion between the ends thereof and a tongue on said first member between its ends insertable in said recess by bending the same transversely of the axis of said tubular part.

JACQUES KREISLER. ANDREW SZEGLIN, 

